The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Réalisateur:

Wes Anderson

Writers (WGA):

Wes Anderson (written by) &
Roman Coppola (written by) ...

Release Date:

26 octobre 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Aventure | Comedie | Drame

Plot:

Three American brothers who have not spoken to each other in a year set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other -- to become brothers again like they used to be. Their "spiritual quest", however, veers rapidly off-course (due to events involving over-the-counter pain killers, Indian cough syrup, and pepper spray), and they eventually find themselves stranded alone in the middle of the desert with eleven suitcases, a printer, and a laminating machine. At this moment, a new, unplanned journey suddenly begins.

Plot Keywords:

Throwing Stones | Luggage | Nun | Turban | India

Awards:

3 nominations

Avis des utilisateurs:

Wes's best thus far.

Ensemble

Owen Wilson	...	Francis L. Whitman
Adrien Brody	...	Peter L. Whitman
Jason Schwartzman	...	Jack L. Whitman
Amara Karan	...	Rita
Wallace Wolodarsky	...	Brendan
Waris Ahluwalia	...	The Chief Steward
Irfan Khan	...	The Father (as Irrfan Khan)
Barbet Schroeder	...	The Mechanic
Camilla Rutherford	...	Alice
Bill Murray	...	The Businessman
Anjelica Huston	...	Sister Patricia Whitman
Mr. A.P. Singh	...	Taxi Driver (as A.P. Singh)
Kumar Pallana	...	Old Man
Dalpat Singh	...	Waiter
Trudy Matthys	...	German Lady #1

Autre(s) titre(s) :

À bord du Darjeeling Limited (France) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Durée:

91 min

Pays:

USA

Langue:

Anglais | Allemand | Hindi | Sanskrit

Couleur:

Couleur (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Son:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Classification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | UK:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Finland:K-11 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:12 | Ireland:15A | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | New Zealand:M | South Korea:15 | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Brazil:14 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Sweden:11 | Portugal:M/12 | USA:R (certificate #43707) | Germany:6

Emplacements De Pelliculage:

India

Company:

American Empirical Pictures

Anecdotes:

Most of the props used on the train sets were handmade or decorated, including the entire dining room set.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the dining car scene, Peter is reading Jack's short story, Luftwaffe Automotive. The story is written on stationary from the Hotel Chevalier, in Paris. The logo of the French flag on the stationary is incorrect; from right to left, the colors are red, white, and blue. The French flag is blue, white, and red.

Guillemet:

[first lines]
The Businessman: That's my train.

Connexions De Film:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2007-09-29)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Strangers

Wes's best thus far.

The Darjeeling Limited is unlike the average comedy. While not being truly laugh out loud funny, the film is clever, well written, with memorable characters and one liners that grow wittier over time. The only type of movie it can be compared to are other films by Wes Anderson, the director of Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and the love it or hate film, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. All of his movies are extremely stylized, with slow motion sequences, wide lenses that slightly distort the frame, and privileged, depressed characters with family issues all thrown together in a slightly artificial, timeless, carefully detailed environment. While with The Life Aquatic he may have tried to do too much, The Darjeeling Limited shows Anderson finally perfected his style. He knows when to throw inside jokes to his most loyal of fans, while keeping his stories fresh and personal, without acknowledging the critics who blame Anderson for repeating himself.

The film is absolutely engaging from the very start with a hilarious, memorable cameo by Bill Murray, trying to catch the Darjeeling Limited train in slow motion, yet is outrun by Adrien Brody's Peter to the tune of The Kinks' This Time Tomorrow, one of the three Kinks songs in the film (all are accompanied by slow motion sequences). Brody, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson play the three Whitman brothers, Peter, Jack, and Francis. Wilson's character has organized a spiritual journey through India with his brothers who have not spoken to one other since their father's funeral a year ago. Performance-wise, the standout is Wilson, in what might be his best role yet. Owen Wilson seems to play himself in all of his other movies, with Wes Anderson being the only writer/director to truly know how to use his talents. The characters begin to realize that one cannot force a spiritual journey, no matter how many temples visited and organized rituals performed for brotherly bonding as printed on a laminated itinerary. The bender that results is a ridiculously entertaining blend of comedy and drama successfully aided by Anderson's great choice of music and colorful, dynamic cinematography.

Extremely recommended viewing (other than Anderson's previous efforts) before watching this amazing film is Hotel Chevalier, a 13 minute short film directed by Anderson and starring Jason Schwartzman, available for free download online through Itunes. In the film, Schwartzman plays the same character that he plays in The Darjeeling Limited. Also starring is Natalie Portman as Jack's ex-girlfriend, who makes a brief cameo in the feature film as well. The short film helps establish Schwartzman's character, and provides clues on certain details of The Darjeeling Limited. Also, a couple of funny moments in the feature wouldn't make much sense without seeing the short. The emotional, yet blissful experience that is The Darjeeling Limited is Wes Anderson's best film thus far, defeating Rushmore for that top spot.